So now the terrible business of the executions of two young Australians have been carried out, the Abbott government has announced the recall of the Australian ambassador to Indonesia as a sign of our dismay and disappointment.
Tony Abbott did not want to do this.
In planning what measures it would take to show its displeasure, the government had previously thought it would not withdraw the ambassador.
We have never done this before with Indonesia.
And it creates a lot of difficulties, not least that our ability to help any other Australians who get into trouble in Indonesia is severely diminished when we have no ambassador in the country.
The government felt it had no choice but to respond to the depth of the feeling in the Australian community.
The executions themselves represent the weakness and poor standing of the government of the new Indonesian president, Joko Widodo.
As president he is so far showing his administration to be weak and very disappointing.
The death penalty for drugs offences is popular in Indonesia.
But if Indonesia does execute everyone it says it will this year, it will shred its international reputation.
Overall Abbott struck the right tone in his press conference this morning.
Australians are entitled to be angry, he said, but we need to be careful that we don’t take actions which are harmful and counter-productive.
Abbott must give expression to the way Australia feels today.
But he must not do lasting harm to our vital national interests in our relationship with Indonesia.
Above all, right now we need calm leadership and a calm community.
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